Pastoral Leadership
BRAEDEN STORKERSEN, PASTOR
Braeden Størkersen grew up in Temecula, and was raised in an evangelical megachurch setting. At age 16, Braeden felt called to pastoral ministry. Yet within a single month during his senior year of high school, Braeden’s oldest brother told his family that he was atheist and then their close family friend came out of the closet as gay. This sent Braeden on a journey toward reconsidering the exclusivist theology of his upbringing, and began to embrace more loving and inclusive expressions and interpretations of his Christian faith. While completing seminary, Braeden pastored at an evangelical church in Temecula and taught at the attached Christian school, but he eventually left these roles to more fully live into his convictions. Shortly after stepping into his pastoral role at Missiongathering, Braeden returned to seminary for his PhD at Claremont School of Theology. He lives in Menifee with Kelcey, his wife and best friend, and their beagle.
Meet Our Board Members
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Jeff Crawford (Board Chairman)
Jeff's journey with MissionGathering took root during a pivotal moment of transition. Upon returning to the MG in August 2023, he found himself reconnecting with a community that felt like home. His military background instilled in him a sense of duty and resilience, traits that seamlessly integrate with the inclusive ethos of MGSD. Beyond his service within the Audio/Visual team, Jeff has always had a strong desire to give back to his community.
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Helen Christensen
Helen Christensen came to MGSD when she relocated to SD during the 2020 pandemic. She was raised Catholic and was drawn to the inclusive vision of MGSD. Helen enjoys volunteering with homeless outreach, collecting toys for our gift drives and supporting our wonderful church community. She also loves to bake and bring treats for our gatherings.
She has 2 grown children and 2 granddogs.
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Lisa Reynolds
Lisa grew up in Southern California and attended university in San Diego. After graduation, Lisa taught English in Japan for a year and a half, and then in China for 4 years. When she moved back to the states, Lisa was attracted to Montessori education. She received her Montessori training from MISD in the primary level (ages 3 to 6). She has worked in Montessori education for about 8 years and has been a head teacher for about 7. Lisa lives in Mission Valley with her husband David.
